Cheapest & free alternatives to Sky TV, Virgin, BT Vision, and Talk Talk. Top best Sky TV, BT Vision, and Virgin Media TV alternatives. The Sky is not the only option for entertainment. Alternatives to Sky TV & Virgin are free, and top-notch paid ones are available. Once there was a choice of 4-5 channels. These channels were often poor quality and sometimes contained ghosting. Sky digital allowed you to enhance your TV reception and get more channels. You could sometimes get a free satellite dish installation when you sign up for Sky digital as a fresh customer. That was often more beneficial than fixing a broken TV aerial. The downside was that you couldn’t receive TV for free, except for the UK TV license cost.
Thankfully, these days are gone. There are many options now. Some services you have to pay for, and some you don’t. They can be received via a TV aerial or satellite. Sky has no monopoly on movies and sports, but they have access to BT Vision and Netflix. This article is for people who want to switch to Sky TV, Switch Virgin Media, or BT TV but don’t know where to start.
It is important to note that TV licenses are required for all types of television in the UK. A TV license is necessary, even if you stream TV via the internet.
Note: It is important to note that TV licenses are required for all types of television in the UK. A TV license is necessary, even if you stream TV via the internet.
Sky TV Alternatives – Sky TV is Not the Only Option
I have separated the options below into two different categories. The best alternatives cover top-notch services; on the other side, free alternatives to Sky TV try to offer some cheap options.
Best & Cheap Alternatives to Virgin Media and Sky TV
TalkTalk TV
Cost: Starting at £25.95/Month
TalkTalk TV is much like BT Vision in appearance. Both services use the renowned platform YouView, which makes for a great user experience. TalkTalk TV requires a connection with a TV aerial to receive live TV. But it would help if you had an internet connection for subscription channels and on-demand streaming. TalkTalk TV boxes cannot connect via WIFI. Therefore you may need an ethernet cable.
Now TV
Cost: Starting at £7.99/Month
Sky offers Now TV, an internet-operated service. You can access most services via Now TV. That includes both Sky Sports and movies. You can get Now TV in many different ways. Either on equipment such as the Xbox, or you can also set up your set-top box with WIFI connectivity. There are two options for purchasing a Now TV. You can sign up for a monthly rolling payment or purchase passes for a specific period, such as a week, month, or day. That will allow you to use the pay-as-you-go feature. It is excellent for those who only need to view a specific event, such as a Sports tournament, but don’t like to go with a monthly subscription. That is what I do when I see the darts each year. I don’t want to pay for Sky TV.
Now TV has one drawback. There are no live BBC, ITV or Channel 4/ 5 streams, so you cannot view main terrestrial TV live. You can buy a set top box from Now TV with TV aerial input. This will allow you to combine both Now TV and Freeview. Then you can enjoy live terrestrial TV.
BT Vision
Cost: From £6-£31/Month.
BT Vision is equal to Sky TV. Many people who quit Sky usually subscribe to BT Vision. It is important to note that BT Vision is transmitted via aerial. Unfortunately, sales reps do not immediately notice this. Before switching to BT Vision, ensure you have a working TV aerial. One should consider the cost of a TV aerial if you don’t have one.
BT Vision will only work if you connect it to a broadband internet line. It offers both conventional Freeview received via a TV aerial and online streaming services like subscription sports and movies, as well as on-demand content. BT Vision now uses the Youview platform to bring together all the services. It’s worth mentioning that I haven’t found a BT Vision set-top box compatible with WIFI.
Netflix
Cost: Starting at £5.99-£13.99/Month
Netflix has a lot of great original and old TV shows. There are also award-winning films that show up here within weeks after screenings. If you only have one option, it’s my favorite because there’s usually anything to catch. The price starts at £5.99. However, £9.99 plan is a best seller. Netflix offers 1080p and allows two people to watch simultaneously on separate devices. The top tier plan costs £13.99, allows four simultaneous accounts and upgrades to 4K where possible. Sometimes there are discounts and deals.
ChromeCast
Cost: Starting at £30/Month
The Chromecast, Google’s first streaming device, costs £30. It simply sits in the HDMI port of your TV. It lets you stream your favourite programs from a smartphone, computer or tablet to TV. The remote is not available with this option. However, you can control it via the casting platform.
Amazon FireStick Lite
Cost: Starting at £19.99/Month
FireStick is Amazon’s cheapest device. It is hidden behind your TV, and the Alexa interface controls HD streaming and voice. It does not have volume or TV controls, but the price is lower. It will cost £19.99 and is the best option for under £30 virtual streaming devices.
Amazon Prime Video
Cost: Starting at £5.99-£7.99/Month
You’re likely to have this if you are an Amazon frequent shopper. The annual £79 price is slightly lower than the standard £7.99 per month price. You can also get a video-only Amazon Prime subscription for just £5.99 per month if you do not need the additional Prime® services such as next-day delivery. New customers get a 30-day trial free of charge. You’ll find plenty of movies and TV shows here, so there’s no reason to stop looking.
Apple TV +
Cost: Starting at £4.99/Month
Apple’s streaming service only offers original and new TV shows. It costs £4.99 per month. Despite the presence of many big names, there hasn’t been any essential viewing content.
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5 Free Alternatives to Sky TV and Virgin Media
The following TV providers are free to use during this article’s creation. If you’re unsure about which service is best for you, this will be a great way to help.
Freeview
It’s a Leading TV provider in the UK. With the rise of TV aerial, the UK is a bit more progressive than other countries. Most UK households have Freeview access in their homes. You only need a compatible TV aerial and a set-top box to start receiving Freeview. Finding compatible digital TVs with Freeview will be challenging, so you probably have the right equipment in your home. You can purchase a cheap set-top box from a supermarket if you already have a Freeview-compatible TV.
Youview
TalkTalk TV and BT Vision both use Youview to deliver their TV services. However, you don’t need to buy Youview to enjoy its benefits. Although you won’t be able to get BT Vision or TalkTalk TV subscription-based programs like onDemand, you can still access your live TV. You can scroll back 7-days to view missed programmes using the same TV. You can also enjoy this by accessing individual apps like BBC iPlayer & ITV Hub; however, this makes it much more straightforward. Youview was initially delivered to your home via a set-top box, often with an internal hard drive for recordings. However, digital TVs are increasingly incorporating this feature.
Freeview Play
Freeview Play, Freeview’s newest offering, combines traditional Freeview services transmitted via TV aerial with on-demand services via broadband. It requires a different box. That allows you to record four programs and then watch another five. It eliminates the problem of many great TV programs being broadcast simultaneously on prime-time television. I have often been frustrated by the inability to watch one program at a time, then several others. Freeview Play is excellent for getting around the all-in-one set-top box. You can view many of these programmes via Freeview Play. However, if you start with recording programmes, it skips the ads so that you can watch the programme first without interruption.
Freesat
Freesat is a kind of Freeview satellite. Many of the stations are identical but in different positions. Some channels are not available on Freesat. Dave is one example. However, Freesat has more channels. All that’s required to receive Freesat is a small, discreet satellite dish on your property. The signals are transmitted via satellites, resulting in almost 100% coverage. That makes it an ideal option for people who live in areas with poor Freeview signals. If you’re quitting Sky Q for Freesat, you will need to modify the LNB of your satellite dish.
FreeTime
You will notice the recurring theme of Freeview Play and Youview as both offshoots. Freetime is satellite TV’s equivalent, just like Freesat. Your traditional TV is delivered directly to you by satellite dish. While on the other side, catch-up services need the internet. The youview scroll back equivalent feature is also available on Freetime. You can use the EPG to scroll back and see which program you missed. Although it isn’t as user-friendly as Youview’s, but it works.
